Research Question: How are students' stressors effectively managed? Contributed by: Virginia Kreger
Editorial: "Anxiety and Stress Management: “Tips to Deal with Stress in College Don’t Work” Summary:
A student at Syracuse University writes that most suggested ways in which one is supposed to deal with stress do not work in the college environment. This article cited students explaining the different ways students deal with stress. One student said that he punches inanimate objects to deal with the stress that his academic life has brought on. Most conventional suggestions like “take a walk” or “read a book” do not alleviate the stress that occurs in an average college student’s life. According to this opinion article, punching objects is a way of venting one’s frustration and stress in order to get back on track in a timely fashion, which is what students need to do. Reaction:
I agree with this person's opinion on the ways in which college students handle stress. Much of the advice that people have given me, such as take a walk, or read a book does not help. I much rather go for a run, something that is physically tiring and lets out the built up tension that my stress has been causing. College students face a lot of stress during their four years in school. Many of the students do not know how to properly handle their stress which leads them to drugs and alcohol. If students feel helpless because the recommended stress busters do not work, they should try some more unconventional avenues, such as punching an object or screaming at the top of their lungs. These unconventional stress relieving strategies may have more of an effect on college students than the typical stress busters. Citation:
Tips to deal with stress in college don't help - Opinion. (n.d.). . Retrieved November 30, 2009, from http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2005/10/13/Opinion/Tips-To.Deal.With.Stress.In.College.Dont.Help-1019310.shtml
Article from Newsweek: "Can Meditation Help At-Risk Kids?" Summary:
Fletcher Johnson Middle School, one of the toughest middle schools in the Washington, DC area uses Transcendentalist Meditation (TM) to calm the school environment. The principle George Rutherford decided to try this stress-busting tactic after a dozen funerals and a teenager stumbling through the hallway with 6 gunshot wounds. It is shown that this type of meditation leads to higher test scores, less bullying, longer attention spans, and happier kids. The Medical College of Georgia studied 156 inner-city teens and found that Transcendentalist Mediation reduced blood pressure. Another study done by the University of Michigan in 2003 found that African-American sixth graders who practiced TM daily had a higher self-esteem and handled stress more effectively than students who didn’t. A current study on 250 college students who are doing TM daily already shows greater brain function, less irritability, and less sleepiness. Reaction:
Transcendentalist Meditation is a creative way to solve a violent school. Many schools have this problem, but few of them explore productive ways to solve it. Fletcher Johnson Middle School found a way to teach their students to deal with their conflicts in a peaceful manner. This strategy is showing the students that if another student is making them mad, they should just walk away and take a few calming breaths before reacting. I believe that all schools should try to implement this idea into their schools some way or another. It would do wonders to decrease the amount of students being bullied as well as boost the school's morale. Citation:
Can Meditation Help At-Risk Kids? | Newsweek Education | Newsweek.com. (n.d.). . Retrieved November 30, 2009, from http://www.newsweek.com/id/139206/page/2 Article from a Scholarly or Professional Journal: (NEA Today) Breathe. Breathe. Release: How to Relax Test-Stressed Kids. Summary:
This article explains different ways in which teachers attempt to calm students’ pre-test jitters during the state testing time. Some teachers light peppermint scented candles, while others practice yoga-like breathing methods. These stress relieving exercises seem to have a positive effect because non-stressed students score an average of 15 points higher on standardized testing than their stressed out counterparts. Some teachers aim to relieve their students’ stress by letting them act like children. One teacher recalled letting her students bring in their own stuffed animal on big testing days. They would sit in her students’ laps and if a student was getting overwhelmed, they stop and hug their animal for a minute. Another teacher explained that she would let her high school students bring in coloring books to take a break in between exams. Standardized tests are usually a big cause of concern for students, but if teachers effectively diffuse their fears, the students should be fine. Reaction: As someone who is interested in becoming a teacher, these examples of stress reducing strategies are very helpful. It makes sense that students get stressed out before standardized tests or any type of test because teachers place a great amount of emphasis on these types of assessments. Young children especially do not know how to manage their stress effectively and then don't do as well as they could on their assessments, but if their teachers let them relieve their stress in comfortable ways, they will be able to focus on their academic task. I think that as a teacher I would definitely implement these techniques to help my future students deal with their anxiety before tests. Citation:
Flannery, M. E. (2008). BREATHE…BREATHE…RELEASE. NEA Today, 26(5), 42-43. doi: Article
ERIC Digest Article: "Student Stress: Effects and Solutions" Summary:
Stress is necessary for students to learn, however distress will inhibit the learning process. One of the suggestions to reduce students’ distress is to establish a feeling of control over their education. Students who know what to expect and who receive feedback on what can be done to improve their academic performance eliminates the feeling of helplessness that so many students feel. Sometimes students need to cope with stress using professional or peer counseling. This allows students to deal with their thoughts and feelings, and often provides students with a feeling of success. However, teachers and professors are a very important part in reducing students’ distress, and whether or not they themselves are stressed plays a big role in the students’ reactions. Reaction:
As a college student, I couldn't agree more with this article. So many students feel overwhelmed and stressed over school work, and many times their stress is because they feel that they don't have control over their academic situation. Whitman's suggestion of getting feedback and professors' expectations makes perfect sense, because if a student receives feedback and his/her professor is clear in their expectations the student feels less overwhelmed and less helpless. I also agree that professors make a huge impact on their students' stress levels. If a professor is stressed out it only stresses the class out more. I also agree with the suggestion that students sometimes should seek professional or peer counseling to help them with their stress. Sometimes students do not know how to deal with their stress in an acceptable way, and they choose to harm themselves or take part in dangerous activities. If counseling sessions were more readily available, students might seek out the help they need instead of letting their stress destroy them. Citation:
Whitman, N. A. -. A. O. (1985, January 0). Student Stress: Effects and Solutions. ERIC Digest 85-1. Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Reports---Descriptive (141); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);, . Retrieved November 30, 2009, from http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=student%20stress%20education&d=4634669190810103&mkt=en-US&w=8e79d79f,a5815476
ERIC Digest Aricle: "Helping Gifted Students With Stress Management" Summary:
According to this article, some ways of handling stress can be positive, while others can be negative. One of the positive ways in which students are instructed to deal with stress is to change the scenery. If a student is getting stressed out looking over notes before a test, he/she should put the notes down for a while and go for a run or a walk to clear his/her mind. If it is a specific person that is causing the student stress, he/she is advised to talk to the person, whether it be a teacher or a fellow student and explain why he/she is stressing them out and if a solution can be reached. Students are recommended to participate in regular physical exercise. Exercise provides students with a time-out from their stress as well as a way of burning off burning off muscle tension from building stress. Another way in which students should cope with stress is to practice effective time-management and organizational skills. If a student has everything organized and listed in a prioritized manner, it will be less daunting and easier to tackle. There are several ineffective ways to deal with stress such as escaping through drugs and alcohol, and aiming too low. Students also select strategies that will avoid failure such as not trying so they can blame their failure on their lack of effort, not intelligence. Reaction:
As a student who has encountered many 'gifted' students, it is quite evident that many of them get stressed out and sometimes don't know how to handle it. These techniques for healthy stress relief would greatly benefit these overachieving students. High-achieving students are often under tremendous stress, mostly self-inflicted, about grades, standardized tests, extracurricular activities, getting into a good college, and other aspects of their lives. Most students, although very smart, do not know how to deal with their stress in a healthy way. Students who do not know how to relieve their stress will often be the students who run into trouble in their college years. I can think of about ten people I knew who, when they arrived at college, self-destructed because they didn't know how to deal with all of the new stresses that came with college. Some of them got involved in drugs and alcohol and some of them failed almost all of their classes, but all of this could have been avoided with productive ways of dealing with stress. I agree totally with the idea of going to a run; removing yourself from the stressful situation and getting out and getting rid of the tension that stress creates is very helpful. Exercise creates a time where your mind doesn't have to think about the test your studying for or the college application you have to fill out; it is a way you can re-focus your mind and get back to the task at hand with a fresh mind. Citation:
Kaplan, L. S. (1990). Helping Gifted Students with Stress Management. ERIC Digest #E488. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED321493
Research Question: How are students' stressors effectively managed?
Contributed by: Virginia Kreger
Editorial: "Anxiety and Stress Management: “Tips to Deal with Stress in College Don’t Work”
Summary:
A student at Syracuse University writes that most suggested ways in which one is supposed to deal with stress do not work in the college environment. This article cited students explaining the different ways students deal with stress. One student said that he punches inanimate objects to deal with the stress that his academic life has brought on. Most conventional suggestions like “take a walk” or “read a book” do not alleviate the stress that occurs in an average college student’s life. According to this opinion article, punching objects is a way of venting one’s frustration and stress in order to get back on track in a timely fashion, which is what students need to do.
Reaction:
I agree with this person's opinion on the ways in which college students handle stress. Much of the advice that people have given me, such as take a walk, or read a book does not help. I much rather go for a run, something that is physically tiring and lets out the built up tension that my stress has been causing. College students face a lot of stress during their four years in school. Many of the students do not know how to properly handle their stress which leads them to drugs and alcohol. If students feel helpless because the recommended stress busters do not work, they should try some more unconventional avenues, such as punching an object or screaming at the top of their lungs. These unconventional stress relieving strategies may have more of an effect on college students than the typical stress busters.
Citation:
Tips to deal with stress in college don't help - Opinion. (n.d.). . Retrieved November 30, 2009, from http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2005/10/13/Opinion/Tips-To.Deal.With.Stress.In.College.Dont.Help-1019310.shtml
Article from Newsweek: "Can Meditation Help At-Risk Kids?"
Summary:
Fletcher Johnson Middle School, one of the toughest middle schools in the Washington, DC area uses Transcendentalist Meditation (TM) to calm the school environment. The principle George Rutherford decided to try this stress-busting tactic after a dozen funerals and a teenager stumbling through the hallway with 6 gunshot wounds. It is shown that this type of meditation leads to higher test scores, less bullying, longer attention spans, and happier kids. The Medical College of Georgia studied 156 inner-city teens and found that Transcendentalist Mediation reduced blood pressure. Another study done by the University of Michigan in 2003 found that African-American sixth graders who practiced TM daily had a higher self-esteem and handled stress more effectively than students who didn’t. A current study on 250 college students who are doing TM daily already shows greater brain function, less irritability, and less sleepiness.
Reaction:
Transcendentalist Meditation is a creative way to solve a violent school. Many schools have this problem, but few of them explore productive ways to solve it. Fletcher Johnson Middle School found a way to teach their students to deal with their conflicts in a peaceful manner. This strategy is showing the students that if another student is making them mad, they should just walk away and take a few calming breaths before reacting. I believe that all schools should try to implement this idea into their schools some way or another. It would do wonders to decrease the amount of students being bullied as well as boost the school's morale.
Citation:
Can Meditation Help At-Risk Kids? | Newsweek Education | Newsweek.com. (n.d.). . Retrieved November 30, 2009, from http://www.newsweek.com/id/139206/page/2
Article from a Scholarly or Professional Journal: (NEA Today) Breathe. Breathe. Release: How to Relax Test-Stressed Kids.
Summary:
This article explains different ways in which teachers attempt to calm students’ pre-test jitters during the state testing time. Some teachers light peppermint scented candles, while others practice yoga-like breathing methods. These stress relieving exercises seem to have a positive effect because non-stressed students score an average of 15 points higher on standardized testing than their stressed out counterparts. Some teachers aim to relieve their students’ stress by letting them act like children. One teacher recalled letting her students bring in their own stuffed animal on big testing days. They would sit in her students’ laps and if a student was getting overwhelmed, they stop and hug their animal for a minute. Another teacher explained that she would let her high school students bring in coloring books to take a break in between exams. Standardized tests are usually a big cause of concern for students, but if teachers effectively diffuse their fears, the students should be fine.
Reaction:
As someone who is interested in becoming a teacher, these examples of stress reducing strategies are very helpful. It makes sense that students get stressed out before standardized tests or any type of test because teachers place a great amount of emphasis on these types of assessments. Young children especially do not know how to manage their stress effectively and then don't do as well as they could on their assessments, but if their teachers let them relieve their stress in comfortable ways, they will be able to focus on their academic task. I think that as a teacher I would definitely implement these techniques to help my future students deal with their anxiety before tests.
Citation:
Flannery, M. E. (2008). BREATHE…BREATHE…RELEASE. NEA Today, 26(5), 42-43. doi: Article
ERIC Digest Article: "Student Stress: Effects and Solutions"
Summary:
Stress is necessary for students to learn, however distress will inhibit the learning process. One of the suggestions to reduce students’ distress is to establish a feeling of control over their education. Students who know what to expect and who receive feedback on what can be done to improve their academic performance eliminates the feeling of helplessness that so many students feel. Sometimes students need to cope with stress using professional or peer counseling. This allows students to deal with their thoughts and feelings, and often provides students with a feeling of success. However, teachers and professors are a very important part in reducing students’ distress, and whether or not they themselves are stressed plays a big role in the students’ reactions.
Reaction:
As a college student, I couldn't agree more with this article. So many students feel overwhelmed and stressed over school work, and many times their stress is because they feel that they don't have control over their academic situation. Whitman's suggestion of getting feedback and professors' expectations makes perfect sense, because if a student receives feedback and his/her professor is clear in their expectations the student feels less overwhelmed and less helpless. I also agree that professors make a huge impact on their students' stress levels. If a professor is stressed out it only stresses the class out more. I also agree with the suggestion that students sometimes should seek professional or peer counseling to help them with their stress. Sometimes students do not know how to deal with their stress in an acceptable way, and they choose to harm themselves or take part in dangerous activities. If counseling sessions were more readily available, students might seek out the help they need instead of letting their stress destroy them.
Citation:
Whitman, N. A. -. A. O. (1985, January 0). Student Stress: Effects and Solutions. ERIC Digest 85-1. Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Reports---Descriptive (141); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);, . Retrieved November 30, 2009, from http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=student%20stress%20education&d=4634669190810103&mkt=en-US&w=8e79d79f,a5815476
ERIC Digest Aricle: "Helping Gifted Students With Stress Management"
Summary:
According to this article, some ways of handling stress can be positive, while others can be negative. One of the positive ways in which students are instructed to deal with stress is to change the scenery. If a student is getting stressed out looking over notes before a test, he/she should put the notes down for a while and go for a run or a walk to clear his/her mind. If it is a specific person that is causing the student stress, he/she is advised to talk to the person, whether it be a teacher or a fellow student and explain why he/she is stressing them out and if a solution can be reached. Students are recommended to participate in regular physical exercise. Exercise provides students with a time-out from their stress as well as a way of burning off burning off muscle tension from building stress. Another way in which students should cope with stress is to practice effective time-management and organizational skills. If a student has everything organized and listed in a prioritized manner, it will be less daunting and easier to tackle. There are several ineffective ways to deal with stress such as escaping through drugs and alcohol, and aiming too low. Students also select strategies that will avoid failure such as not trying so they can blame their failure on their lack of effort, not intelligence.
Reaction:
As a student who has encountered many 'gifted' students, it is quite evident that many of them get stressed out and sometimes don't know how to handle it. These techniques for healthy stress relief would greatly benefit these overachieving students. High-achieving students are often under tremendous stress, mostly self-inflicted, about grades, standardized tests, extracurricular activities, getting into a good college, and other aspects of their lives. Most students, although very smart, do not know how to deal with their stress in a healthy way. Students who do not know how to relieve their stress will often be the students who run into trouble in their college years. I can think of about ten people I knew who, when they arrived at college, self-destructed because they didn't know how to deal with all of the new stresses that came with college. Some of them got involved in drugs and alcohol and some of them failed almost all of their classes, but all of this could have been avoided with productive ways of dealing with stress. I agree totally with the idea of going to a run; removing yourself from the stressful situation and getting out and getting rid of the tension that stress creates is very helpful. Exercise creates a time where your mind doesn't have to think about the test your studying for or the college application you have to fill out; it is a way you can re-focus your mind and get back to the task at hand with a fresh mind.
Citation:
Kaplan, L. S. (1990). Helping Gifted Students with Stress Management. ERIC Digest #E488. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED321493